Stages used for giving puppet shows with hand or glove puppets typically comprise a single front wall with a fixed stage section and two side walls. The stage section may comprise a lower stage, an upper stage, (see, for example, Fischereder U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,816) and two side walls. The stage usually has an appropriate curtain system for opening and closing the viewing area of the stage and for concealing the puppeteers from the audience. This type of stage has the disadvantage of being permanent in nature, relatively complex to assemble, difficult to store and not easily movable from one place to another.
Collapsible stages used for giving puppet shows with hand or glove puppets are known in the art. Duvall, U.S. Pat. No. 2,837,863 granted June 10, 1958 discloses a folding cardboard stage which is placed into a sheath for carrying purposes. These structures provide inadequate structural strength, are not adjustable in height to accomodate puppeteers of various ages, and lack a front curtain set for opening and closing the viewing area of the theater. Besherse, U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,168 granted Aug. 12, 1975, discloses an umbrella shaped puppet stage, comprising a collapsible umbrella roof and a central upright support. Structures of this type are difficult to store, and are not easily movable from one place to another. In addition, a separate carrying case is required to carry the puppets, stage props, and structural stage components.
Portable display stages used for displaying puppets other than hand or glove puppets are available in several designs. Harper, U.S. Pat. No. 3,563,538 discloses a puppet stage comprising a platform having an aperture and a multiplicity of support members hingedly joined to the platform.
Schrock, U.S. Pat. No. 2,718,091 discloses a toy theater for puppets comprising a foldable scored cardboard body which may be turned upside down for marionettes.
Other puppet theaters known include those for finger puppets (Kharasch U.S. Pat. No. 3,418,764), and stick puppets. (Heller U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,788). These structures lack an appropriate curtain system for opening and closing the viewing area of the theater, are not adjustable in height to accomodate puppeteers of various ages, and do not provide an appropriate structure for operating hand or glove puppets.